Flowered Feet Fail
Doesn't Dan Stevens look dapper at the CFDA Fashion Awards? Seriously, he's stunning north of the anklebone. But now we need to talk about these Thom Browne shoes. It's not that we're opposed to a little whimsy in male footwear, especially when it's a take on a classic style. But these loud, reddish-brown brogues a) don't go with the blue suit, and b) is the pattern floral? An animal print? A fungus? Whatever, they're just silly, not striking.
You Can't Unsee This
Are we all agreed? This is a heinous suit. Sorry, Matthew McConaughey. And if you look at it for more than two seconds (which no eye doctor would advise), you'll see it's not even that the colors/pattern are made extra horrible by the horrific background. No, they're really that disgusting all on their own. Plus, the twee shawl-collared vest? That stupid-looking jacket chain? The collarless...No, we just can't go on; our retinas are on their last legs. BTW, it's by Vivienne Westwood. Surprise.
Red-Carpet Rakish
Eddie Redmayne swaps the suit for a more outdoorsy look at the MTV Awards, and—though some of his casual looks have been hit-or-miss—this one is working so well! The fab biker jacket gives him a bit of edginess we haven't seen on him before, and he's totes pulling off the skinny chinos too. As he's in head-to-toe AllSaints, it could be the Les Miz star's found his go-to label, at least for informal garb. It's definitely sizzling with that patented Redmayne gaze...
Ich Bin Iron Man!
Yes, Robert Downey Jr. is beclad in honest-to-god lederhosen at the Iron Man 3 Munich photocall, and good for him. If he has been harboring a desire to swan around in leather embroidered man capris and hiking boots, this was his chance. Owing to the jaunty green socks and neckerchief (coupled with the jig pose) there's an inexplicable whiff of Emerald Isle here too, but for all we know, leprechaun goatherd is exactly what RDJ was going for.
Bros Pose
Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart pose grimly at the Rome photocall for Olympus Has Fallen, hands shoved in pockets and stances identical. Gerard glares around to ward off any comments on their having shown up in nearly duplicate casual-but-tough dad outfits, while Aaron gazes defiantly as if to say, "Yes, I did borrow these pants from 3-inches-taller Gerard; what about it?"
Hiddleston'd
Sorry, words have pretty much left us. We're just sitting here taking in this tall, lanky drink of aristocratic-looking water in a subtle windowpane check, and blissfully repeating "Hiddleston" over and over, because it's fun to say. If we must break it down: Well, Tom's wearing his collar bar excellently, so those should definitely make a comeback. Um...maybe his Emporio Armani jacket gaps too much at the bottom? OK, it does, and...Yeah, we really don't care.
What Makes Them Beautiful...
OK then: One Direction has achieved boy-band perfection. Especially with the, well, "little things" that ingeniously both link and individualize them: a boutonniere for ladies' man Harry is answered by a cool dragonfly on Liam; dots/speckles recur on Louis' and Harry's shirts and Niall's shoes; the group's only neckwear (a ribbon tie) and only earring stand out on velvet-jacketed Zayn; Liam gets the cardigan but Niall the trainers. And Louis' bright brown shoes pop (with Liam's gold crest) against the otherwise total black-and-white palette. Niiicely done, lads. And very grown-up, may we say.
Oz the Chunky and Powerful
So, here's face-of-Gucci James Franco clad head to foot in (quelle surprise) Gucci. First the positive: We drool over this gorgeous, shimmery plaid in oxblood and dark blue, set off perfectly by the same-hued tie and palest blue shirt. Now, the iffy: the slightly over-breaking pants (1/2 inch shorter, 'K?). And ye gads, what happened to his waistline?! Is it the cut of the suit? An unfortunate fit? Hope so; otherwise we're wondering how the hot-air balloon he reportedly arrived in for the premiere managed to get aloft.
Side Effect: Zzzz
Jude Law looks uncomfortable at his Side Effects screening. Like he's just realizing his jacket is too snug and his trousers hit at his anklebone. Or maybe it's boredom he's feeling, because his dull gray suit fails to be enlivened by a plain gray tie. Possibly it's because he's rethinking his footwear. Some lace-up ankle boots in, say, a wingtip style wouldn't jar, but this zipped motorcycle pair, under the cuffed tweeds, dowdifies the whole shebang even more. Give 'em the, er, boot.
Bradley's the Bomb
Bradley Cooper keeps it casual at the Silver Linings Playbook photocall in Rome, opting for a trendy Ferragamo navy and beige bomber jacket and jeans. When in Rome, wear Italian...and when Bradley Cooper, wear blue whenever you can. If you want to kill us with handsomeness.
X-Man, First-Class!
Wow. The sleek lines (and perfect fit) of this dark-brown Dolce & Gabbana don't need a pop of color, contrasting tie, pocket hankie or anything else to look stunning on Nicholas Hoult at the Warm Bodies Rome premiere. Backed by nothing more than a white shirt and pair of polished brogues, the narrow-cut peak-lapel number on this tall young Brit makes its own statement. Likewise, the former Skins star's new buzzed hair spotlights the best accessory—his pretty, pretty face.
An Ill Wind
Eddie Redmayne lists to starboard n the mysterious gale at the BAFTA Tea Party. Perhaps the same gale that blew through his hotel room and hurled his clothes into chaos, which explains how he randomly grabbed up a gorgeous velvety jacket; a T-shirt; a woolly shawl-collared cardigan you might wear while, say, playing Scrabble; and some oddly bagging skinny pants; and called it an outfit.
Irish Spring
Tyson Beckford is all minty-green spring freshness in his floral Alexander Nash blazer with natty white piping atop black pants and loafers. As it's bleakest January and freezing at the Inaugural Hip-Hop Ball, all this whimsy just reminds us that even shamrocks, much less garden parties and daffodils, are a looong way off still. We'd be grumpy—if he didn't look so charming, and his green ankles peeking out to salute both Shanina Shaik's gorgeous gown and his jacket make us smile.
Gos' Gucci Gangster Glam
Mmm, look how beautifully the stunning tobacco color of the Gucci three-piece sets off Ryan Gosling's hair...and how in turn the plain white shirt and black tie showcase the suit color. Along with the edgy shoe choice, it all makes for a touch of the retro dandy at the Gangster Squad premiere in Hollywood. We can't tell if the brown lace-ups are actually studded or if those are perforations. Doesn't matter; either way they're, er, riveting.
Hearty Burgundy
We love that Josh Brolin went with burgundy in this Ermenegilda Zegna suit, set off with a lavender shirt, for the Gangster Squad Hollywood premiere; it's a fresh, gorgeous color combo, especially with that shimmery silk-wool. But. With shimmer comes emphasis on creases and folds. We also saw this same suit on Liam Hemsworth, and it looked so much better—know why? Just because his pants were hemmed to the right length so they didn't turn his legs into a mass of shiny rumples. An A for your top half, though, Josh!
A Study in Panache
Sherlock fans know nobody rocks an overcoat and scarf quite like Benedict Cumberbatch. See how, at the Bally Celebrates 60 Years event, he turns a plain white shirt and gray trousers into something debonair and dramatic just by tossing on a well-cut coat and a fave go-with-everything striped scarf, and clutching a fedora. (Well, and wearing those cheekbones. That too.)
Ron Swanson: Pose of Greatness
"Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." To our delight, Nick Offerman has listened well to his alter ego's teachings, and shows us at the AFI Fest in Hollywood. Clotheswise, he seems to have donned the top parts of a lovely dressy three-piece suit over a distinctly casual checked shirt and blue jeans, but we don't really care about that right now in the pyramid of awesomeness.
Shiny, Not Snug
Here's the trouble with the shiny suit trend: Tailored togs of the shimmerier ilk have to fit to devastating perfection. To wit: the usually devastatingly perfect Daniel Craig at the Madrid Skyfall premiere. See how, with the jacket too tight on him, every little pull and crease is magnified? Also, the sleeves are too short, and probably also too snug since that right one's made a run for it northward. Yank it down, 007.
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Hey Jude (Yes, We're Doing That)
As a nod to his stately statesman character in Anna Karenina, Jude Law's looking very toffish at the film's London premiere—in the best possible way. For a modern twist, all three pieces of the gray suit are of a different tone and material, and the double-breasted Victorian vest is faboo in a steampunk kinda way. As are the strapped shoes. From that face and pose, he knows it, too!
No-Tie Ry
Make no mistake, we love this brown, slim-cut Gucci suit with its vintage-y color and stripe on Ryan Gosling at the Toronto Film Festival, paired with Gucci lace-ups. We'd have preferred either a tie or that he not button the shirt all the way up to the tippy-top, though. All that pristine white comes off a bit stuffy, and it also highlights the neck scruff (and you know how we're not fans of that—even on The Gos).
Werqing-Man Blues
Bradley Cooper's total Tom Ford ensemble makes his baby blues look yowza at the Toronto Film Fest, in a classic three-piece in a dark blue check paired with pale blue shirt and black lace-ups. The open collar loosens up the look just the right amount, and if it didn't showcase neck beard (sigh) we'd give the man an A+ for scrumptiousness. As it is, he's downgraded to merely yummy.
One Hand in His Pocket...
This Tom Ford suit in delave linen is a fresh, cool choice on Damian Lewis at the Homeland season two screening in NYC—and ocean-blue never goes amiss on a hunky redhead. The jacket looks a trifle snug, but then that could be the fault of the awkward catalog-y pose. Note to guys: Patch pockets on a suit coat don't mean you can casually rest your hand in there; casual is exactly what it won't look.
Double Premium
Some guys just aren't built for double-breasted, but being tall enough and lean, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not one of those guys. He's yummy in navy Balenciaga at the NYC premiere of Premium Rush (is the jacket maybe a hairsbreadth long?), and we think the red plastic "record" button from his open-collaborative Hit RECord production company is the perfect lapel accessory.
None of These Things Is Like the Others
Shia LaBeouf's top third confuses us on The Tonight Show. Nice sleek suit, tie's fine, but the shirt with its contrasting collar and front placket detracts from them and they from it. Who knows, we might like the button-down on its own, but the red tie bulges out the already color-popping collar in a way that really rivets the eye, and not a good way. Plus the Grizzly Adams head topping it off goes with none of it.